A Gift And A Curse
by J4M3Z XO
Summary: "They hadn't happened for a while though, so maybe they were over". John thought the visions were gone, until they start coming back. On a fateful day, he saves a victim who just so happens to be one of the greater demons of the underworld and is then sucked into a world full of demons and powers that he never thought existed. AU. M/M. Please R&R, I'd love to know your thoughts.
1. Chapter 1

**_A Gift And A Curse_**

**_- _**_Chapter One__ -_

_**A/N: Special thanks to coleypunk-Y2J for being an awesome beta and helping me with my ideas over the last few months, you are awesome :) x**_

* * *

The timing was always of the greatest importance. Even when it was at_ 03__:23, _John would be there. Whoever the victim was, letting them die was just not an option. After all, how could you live with having the knowledge to save somebody's life, but instead leaving them to die, effecting family and friends, and the occasional nation here or there when it was a mayor or politician.

They hadn't happened for a while though, so maybe they were over.

But if they did come back, John wouldn't mind. Without them, it just seemed that he had no purpose. With them, he had a major lack of sleep, but enough reward money and popularity that he couldn't give a damn. Now, he had nothing. Nobody.

And, even though he hadn't had a vision for half a year, they were the only thing he had thought about. It was torture.

"John, could you clean up on aisle four, please?" His manager, Jerry, asked a mix of displeasure and contempt on his face, most likely for whoever came in and decided to make a mess of his store. Jerry Lawler was an awesome boss, no doubt, but if you messed with his store, you'd better run a country mile and never come back.

"Sure thing, Mr. Lawler" John said with a small smile. He wouldn't say he enjoyed working in the small Aldi for seven hours a day, four days a week, but it was nice to have time to think. And the pay wasn't half bad for such an easy job.

Grabbing the mop and bucket from the basement of the store - which functioned as both a staff room and a storage room - required five minutes of your time, and the light bulb never seemed to be working properly whenever John would have a vision. He hadn't seen the light blink in his presence for the last six months of work, but it was usually a sign for an on-coming vision, something that seemed almost alien now.

With a long sigh, John picked up the bucket, the mop already inside, and walked out of the perfect, pale-yellow light. No sign of a vision so far, but he usually went into the store-crew room at least 4 times a day. Well, eight if you counted going in and out, but John considered that one process instead of two; it made the whole thing seem shorter.

With one last glance at the unblinking light, John threw the mop and bucket in front of him, slamming the door to the store-crew room shut and stalking over to aisle four. He was truly tired of not having something to do at night, it annoyed him so much that he would set up his night gear on his couch before going to bed, only to wake up, well-rested from a full night of sleep and having to put it all back in his closet before heading off for work.

"Something wrong, John?" Jerry asked, concerned. He was like a mentor to John, both in and outside of work. Almost a father figure, but father was a word that lost meaning to John when his father ran out on his mother and left his family to look after themselves. John had had to move out after a year or so and now lived in a one-room apartment in one of the furthest away places in the city of Boston. Furthest away from his family, his friends, his old life. Jerry was much better than his father.

"Nothing's wrong Mr. Lawler, just missing my family" John answered, forcing a smile. Jerry smiled back before heading off, most probably going outside to call his wife, Kelly, who was years younger then Jerry. The age gap so big that you'd think she was his daughter, but John didn't judge.

John proceeded to aisle four, feeling empty inside, and mopped up the yellow liquid on the floor. This was one of the more annoying aspects of the job; the people who come into the store, make a mess - whether on purpose or by accident - and just leave.

It only took a few minutes and a wet floor sign for the problem to be dealt with, meaning John would have to go back into the store-crew room to put the mop away, a mixture of anticipation and dread making him feel dizzy and light-headed.

Upon entering the store-crew room, it felt suddenly cold. The kind of chill that would send a shiver up one's spine, the kind of chill that John had been waiting for, for at least six months.

As he put the mop and bucket away, the light seemed to blink behind him, slowly, as if trying to gain his attention but just out of his sight as he was facing away from it. And then it started to blink, every three or four seconds it would go from the pale yellow to darkness and back again.

And this time, under the shadow of blinking light, John let a grin spread all over his face. Tonight was the night.

Tonight would be the night that he continued saving lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A Gift And A Curse_**

**_- _**_Chapter Two__ -_

* * *

It was as relieving as it was thrilling to leave work knowing that he would have something to do tonight.

It gave him occasional chills of adrenaline that were a mix of anxiety and anticipation, but he knew that if he achieved saving someone once again, his life would have purpose once more. And that was a better feeling for John than love.

Love. It wasn't a word John used very much, not a word that he cared for either. He had been in love once, with his high school girlfriend, Torrie. But, as it turns out, high school love doesn't last too long outside of the gossiping walls it blossoms in.

Besides, Torrie had been seeing two other men behind his back since their Junior year, so love just seemed to closely related to deceit for John to be comfortable with it.

He still remembered the day she told him. Being the stuck up cow she always had been, she had basically ripped his heart out and pissed on it. And he had cried, he had drowned his sorrows and he had slept...with a man. A man John still kept in contact with, but only when either of them felt alone.

John let out a long sigh, '_Adam...'_

Maybe it was the fact that his son was turning homosexual that John Cena Senior stormed out of the Cena household. But whatever happened, John remembered the last words they had shared, right after his father had split his lip open with a thundering right hook.

_"No son of mine is a faggot! You are no son of mine!" _His dad had screamed, his voice booming off of the walls and slapping John in the face. By then he had already started crying. But his retaliation had been ice-cold and venemous, akin to his father.

_"What kind of father are you? One that would throw his son out of his family for something as simple as being gay?! Fuck you! I have no father, you were never a good role model for any of us. I hope you get killed, and then you can rot in hell where you belong...!"_

That was the first night the visions came to him, but he wrote it off as a nightmare, as well as ignored the reality of the vision because he was heartbroken and furious at his father. The next day was the day that he realised the vision was actually a premonition, and that he had the chance to save his father's life. But he didn't, and from then on he had saved every last person. Including various people he knew, disliked, hated, or didn't know. It didn't matter who the victim was to John, all he knew was that life was precious, and when it is taken, more than your family and friends are affected.

The memory of his father still haunted him. In fact, John was sure it was one of the only dreams he could have beside the visions, which made it that much harder to escape from. Many a time he had woken up with a vague recollection of the premonition he had on the night his father died. The blurry yet recognisable figure of his father, then two blurry figures rushing toward him. The knife plunging into his father's gut, and then waking up, crying and drenched in sweat. The most awful feeling.

"Mr. Cena" Nodded the landlord of the apartment building as John entered the door to the long stair case. John nodded back and smiled, but he hardly knew the man. Shane McMahon was a silent and tired-looking man, who had supposedly inherited all the apartments and motels and condos his father had owned after Vincent McMahon's untimely death.

John mused the appearance of Shane McMahon, the head of McMahon industries as he made his way up three flights of stairs to his third floor apartment.

It was a nice place, smooth but vibrant. Comfortable, but not boring. Sure, the colours were mostly a cream or smooth white, and the staircase was a smooth and comfortable grey, and the wood panelling that covered almost every floor creaked when you stepped on certain sections, but it was fairly decent considering he was paying half of what it cost.

John vaguely remembered the night that he saved Vincent McMahon from guaranteed death, a supposed hit and run that was secretly instigated by the Mob. At least, that's what McMahon had told him, and who lied when their lives had just been saved?

John had gotten to McMahon with a few seconds to spare, pulling the man out off of the street and locking him in the boot of his car. John had then killed the engine and waited as two mob goons discussed how they would tell the Don that McMahon had escaped before they had the chance.

McMahon obviously heard because he thanked and hugged John before calling Shane to come and pick him up. McMahon had then visited him at his old apartment and forced him to move into one of the more extravagant lofts (apartments) that he owned.

John had lived there for a year or so now, before McMahon had died in a suspicious death. Reported as a bomb on his limousine that had exploded as soon as McMahon had got into the car and his chauffeur had stomped on the accelerator.

Crashing onto his bed after a long climb, John wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and receive his vision through dreaming - the usual way, but he knew he needed to shower and set up his gear, and then he could sleep, only to wake up a few hours later and be ready to take action.

Creating a list in his head, John worked out the things he would do before going to bed:

- Have dinner (some pasta with a nice basil sauce and some sausages as toppings).

- Take a shower.

- Brush Teeth.

And then he could sleep, and then be roused by a vision. John shuddered as another wave of anticipation rose up inside him.

* * *

John woke up, suddenly alert and sweating. If you'd see him wake up you would not have thought he was actually ever asleep. But he had been, and as he looked over at his kit laid out on his leather couch in his bedroom, the flashes of this vision came back to him.

_A tall man, with neck-length black hair, he was very muscular. Three other men with blanked out faces, they were on top of a building? A car park! On the very top of a car park, and they had guns on the man, waving them at him as they shouted for him to move toward the edge..._

Jumping out of bed, John stripped himself of his sweaty briefs and pulled on a new pair.

After that he struggled to put on a bullet proof vest, a vest that he had been given by a victim he'd saved who worked on the blackest of black markets. After that he slipped on the all-black outfit - the padded shirt, leggings and the boots with steel-capped toes.

Pulling the hood and balaclava to cover his face, John went in search of his gun.

He eventually found it, hidden in a safe behind his wardrobe, and slipped it into a holster inside his jacket. That way, if he ever was caught by policemen, they'd never be able to find it. They might find one of his knives - slyly hidden in a small slab of fabric that was built into his sleeves - but by then he'd have stabbed or attacked them, if needed.

Hurtling down the steps to the first floor of his loft - if you could even call them floors - John grabbed his keys and ran out of the door, not checking to lock his door before he hurtled down the three flights of stairs and ran off, into the night...

* * *

As he pulled onto the street, usually busy in the daytime with all the business officers, but now empty, except for the street lights that seemed to guide John to the car park's entrance, and the ever-growing silence of the night.

John drove only up to the first floor of the car park and parked, as not to be detected, and then ran the rest of the way, hearing no shouts or voices as he made his way up the five flights of stairs that made up the fire escape. He hesitated as he made it to the top floor, seeing a car - the engine still running - as well as the three figures standing with their backs to him. At least they couldn't see him coming.

Poking the door open a bit, John strained to hear what they were saying.

"Keep moving, Wade. You aren't going to be able to get away with what you've done" One of them called. He was tall, muscular and handsome actually, with dirty blonde hair and a million dollar smile. Next to him was a lanky brunette, who had child-like features and was maybe a few inches taller than the blonde, but also beautiful, in a youthful, innocent kind of way. Next to them - and closer to the victim - was a short brunette, he was adorable to John, but they were here to kill. Looks can be deceiving as they say.

"Stop!" John shouted, jumping through the fire escape door and firing three shots at the sky to gain their attention. The trio of men whipped around to him with alarm, all of their hands going toward their holsters and pockets, but John was quicker. "I'll blow his head off if you even think about it!" He warned, his gun targeting the lanky raven-haired boy.

"Okay, okay! Just don't shoot him!" The blonde begged, his gun falling to the ground. His eyes met John's and, for a second (in the moonlight), John thought he saw the gleam of tears in his eyes. They must be close.

"Who are you and why are you trying to kill him?!" John demanded, using his thumb to point at the other man, Wade, but there was nothing but space where Wade had stood. He'd run off as soon as the trio had been distracted by John.

"You wouldn't understand if we told you, human" the blonde said, obvious distaste for John lacing his voice, or was it pure distaste for humans? Shaking his head, John caught the eyes of the smaller one, who stared straight at his eyes, as if trying to see through him. The stare was held for a few seconds and John was left with a dizzying sensation.

"Ted, he isn't human" The small one said, his expression confused but his tone of voice a warning to Ted. John looked on, confused. _I'm not human, what the fuck are they smoking?_

The three of them stayed silent for a while, Ted and the smaller man looking at each other for a while before the little man looked at the lanky one and then went back to Ted. After a while of awkward and confused silence on John's part, Ted spoke.

"Okay, we'll tell you..."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A Gift And A Curse**_

_- Chapter Three - _

**_A/N: Seriously, if you keep up these reviews, I will try to update at least once every two days, I promise. Thank you all :) (Also, the Igigi and the Anunnaki are of Mesotopian mythology, look it up if you want, it inspired this story) x_**

* * *

"Tell me what? And how am I not human, can't you see my skin?!" John demanded, confused by the comments uttered only a few seconds earlier. He was also slightly aggravated by the superior and distasteful edge to Ted's voice. Ted gave him a glare, clearly angry about something too, before speaking.

"You just let one of the worst demons escape out into the world, do you even know how much damage and death you may have caused?" Ted asked, surprisingly calm but still with the superior and distasteful tone. John was surprised when the lanky raven-haired boy shot him a look and Ted's tense shoulders sagged.

"Look, John - it is John isn't it?" The raven-haired boy said, receiving a nod from John. "This is going to be a lot to take in for you, but you aren't human. You're _Igigi_. In fact, all four of us are Igigi. We belong to a race before humans that are spiritually more advanced".

"I'm a genie?" John asked, almost laughing but for the tension and seriousness in the atmosphere. Raven head rolled his eyes before continuing.

"_Most _of us were allowed to train and nurture our powers when we were young but some, like you, were shut off from 'The Underworld' because of your parent' fear of its danger" He said, making quotation marks when he said 'the underworld'.

"Basically, we use our powers to seek demons and possibly harmful humans who plan to corrupt or even kill others. Have you ever felt _different_, John?" Raven head asked, his boyish features making him look like an angry puppy as he tried to put on a serious face. Even though this was serious, _deadly_ serious.

_"Yes, all the time. I feel like the only man on earth who is attracted to other men" _John thought, but didn't say, who knew how these people would react if he said he was gay. He looked at each of them, all showing seriousness in their expressions, and felt that dizzying sensation when he met the smaller brunette's eyes.

"He's gay" He said, exposing John's secret. _Had he read his mind?! _John tried to summon all the nasty words he could think of, preparing for a homophobic reaction, but was pleasantly surprised.

"Oh" Raven head said, his lips tugging up into a smile, he looked like he was about to laugh. "No, not like that. I mean as if you have something inhuman, like turning invisible, or reading minds or something?"

_"I can see the future" _John thought, turning towards the smaller one as he thought this. He let out a gasp of surprise and a look of admiration spread like a wave all over his features as he looked from John to the others and back again. So he could read minds.

"No way!" Ted exclaimed, this was one of the rarest powers. In fact, Ted didn't know anybody who had it.

"Yes, but I just thought I had demonic dreams. So...you say I'm Igigi, what exactly is that?" John asked, finding this aspect of their revelation the one that peaked his curiosity.

"Oh, it's kind of complex, but if you're willing to come with us we'll prove the underworld exists" Ted offered, his distasteful tone slightly diminished. They were all seemingly happy with John's power, in fact, it had made the atmosphere joyful and more comfortable for John.

"Sure, it's not like I can sleep now" John said, shaking his head.

They soon filed through the fire escape's stairwell door and made their way downstairs, they walked in silence but it was a relaxing and calm silence more than a hostile one.

As soon as they got to a car, only a few parking spaces away from John's, John remembered his own car.

"I almost forgot! I drove my car here, shall I follow you or...?" He said, making to head off to his car but the group considered this, using the smaller one's mind-reading to communicate. After a minute or so, Raven head spoke.

"Evan will go with you" He said, motioning his hand in the smaller one's direction. Evan, it suited him perfectly; he was small, seemingly weak but his arms showed muscle tone, and probably the least hostile of the group throughout this whole encounter.

"Okay...see you later, then?" John said, confused, before he and Evan headed off to his car.

* * *

"So, what's the deal with my ancestors again...Igigi?" John asked Evan, who had been quiet - almost timid, for the whole car ride, but John was curious and confused, so he needed answers. They had driven into some woods and were obviously deep in, but Evan kept telling him to keep going, or turn right/left every now and then.

"W-well, erm. Before humans were created, a race of Gods roamed the earth. They were called the Anunnaki, or any other name they go by - but that's what we know them as. Anyway, they ruled us - the Igigi - and made us their slaves, despite the fact that we were just younger Gods. So, after a several days - it varies depending on who tells the story - the Igigi revolted.

"When the Anunnaki realised this, they decided they needed new slaves to keep their land as they wanted. So they killed off most of the Igigi, but some of them escaped and fled out of their reach, into the shadows if you -" Evan explained, but something had grabbed John's attention.

"You were saying 'we' a minute ago, now you're saying 'they'. What's that about?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow but keeping his eyes on the empty, dark road.

"T-they fled into the shadows. So, wanting a new race of slaves, the Anunnaki created man. Notice how the ancient scriptures of your religion have God speaking to someone before he has created anything, anybody, this is loosely based on what happened. There were 12 of the highest royals of the Anunnaki at the creation, each posing as 'God'. Anyway, they - the Igigi - had to wait until the first two humans were banished to the shadows from the Garden, and then they mated with the humans, creating a hybrid. We are that hybrid. Me, you, Cody, Ted and probably thousands of others" Evan finished, John's eyes wide and staring straight at him in shock. It felt so true. It was true. Or was it?

"I assure our kind cannot tell lies" Evan said, his voice deep with seriousness. John nodded slowly before setting his eyes back on the road.

"So...what can Blondie and Baby do?" John asked, trying to lighten the ever-serious mood.

"Erm...Ted can control people's minds, and Cody can turn invisible" Evan said, still quiet and timid. It confused John that someone could be part of a superior race and not be confident.

"We do not feel as if we are superior. As humans were essential for our creation, we respect them as much as any of us" Evan said, reading his thoughts again. John was slightly confused about how his powers worked, didn't he have to make eye contact? And where was the dizzying sensation?

"I only had to link eyes with you before we had a spiritual link, and now it's like your thoughts are a radio station, and are screamed from a satellite dish as loud as a speaker" Evan explained. "Oh, and you're used to my presence in your mind, so the dizzying sensation is gone".

John smiled at Evan, who let a small, meek smile wash over his features. John could only imagine how much fun he would have with a power like Evan's, at least his had some use in daytime situations!

"It's not as fun as you think, people have really dark thoughts some times. And your power is as great as any of ours, do not put sell yourself short, you are as important as any of us. Especially when you advance your power" Evan said. John was suddenly flushed with a creepy feeling; Evan would be in his mind 24/7, so he had no freedom of thought.

"And how do I advance my power?" John asked, aloud this time as he didn't like the prying of his mind that Evan could be doing.

"I will try not to pry, John, so long as your thoughts aren't rude or homicidal" Evan said, winking at him as he knew John wasn't 100% happy with Evan being able to hear his thoughts all the time. "And, as for your power, where do you think we're heading right now?"

"Some kind of institute?" John guessed, they seemed so serious and professional that a headquarters in an office would suit them all. John cursed in his head as he hadn't controlled his thought path, and Evan had heard his insults. "Sorry" He muttered. Evan just smiled in response.

"No, no, no. You would be wrong there, John Cena. Turn right here" Evan said, inhaling a deep breath.

He finally released that breath and John realised what he was doing as Evan hollered.

"Welcome, John Cena, to the Circus!"


	4. Chapter 4

_**A Gift And A Curse**_

_- Chapter Four -_

**_A/N: Marcus Hopson (Hopsin) is a rapper, one of his songs helped me write this story, so I figured I'd include him in this. Also, I need more opinions on this, would we like Evan/John or Miz/John?_**

* * *

John felt his jaw drop as he looked up at immense circus tent in front of him.

"Are you okay, John?" Evan asked from the passenger seat, smirking slightly at John being in awe of the circus.

"This. Is. HUGE!" John exclaimed, his eyes still wide and his jaw still threatening to fall off of his face. The circus seemed to go on forever, up and up until it touched the clouds in the sky.

At the entrance stood two spires, at least 10 feet tall, with strong, roaring flames protruding from the top, lighting up the front of the circus tent and it's surroundings. Apart from that it looked like an enhanced version of any other circus tent. With the sides of the tent like a transparent colour - the colour of fire - with a blue or white scale every now and then. It seemed to stretch on forever, both on the ground and up in the sky.

"Come on, let's head inside" Evan said, tapping John's arm to get his attention before they both exited the car. They slowly walked towards the circus, two people stood outside waiting for them. At first glance, John figured they were Ted and Cody but they looked nothing like them at all, one of them was black with creepy all-white eyes and the other, well, he was damn sexy.

"John, this is Marcus Hopson" Evan explained, jerking his thumb at the first guy, he nodded before Evan continued. "But we just call him Hopsin. And this, this is Randy".

John's eyes moved to the right and met Randy's, a cold mixture of grey and blue, before he was forced to look down, there was something in those eyes that screamed danger and coldness. Coming to his senses, John turned back to Marcus.

"So, why do they call you Hopsin and not by your name?" He asked, gaining a small smile from Hopsin, his white eyes glinting in the dim light of the fire.

"I prefer Hopsin. You're the new boy, right? John Cena?" He asked, curious. His creepy look was completely opposite to his relaxed and friendly nature, John noted, which made him feel like he could trust him. And then it hit him; he knew this guy from somewhere!

"Do I know you from somewhere?" John asked quickly, looking intently at Hopsin to try to jog his memory.

"Oh, you listen to Rap?" Hopsin cocked an eyebrow. "I make that stuff in my spare time to share some knowledge. Funny story, that's how they actually found me" He explained. _Found him? _

"We were cruising through LA one night, searching for a demon. And we find this demon and Marcus fighting in an alleyway, so we end up detaining him and killing the demon. After that, we sped off, but Marcus was overcome by curiosity, and he followed us back here. We're not quite sure where his Igigi blood comes from, but he seems very good at detecting the truth" Evan explained, smiling fondly at the memory.

"It was the weirdest night of my life, for sure. But probably the night I am most grateful for, it opened my eyes. I just though I was a good judge of character before, but they said it was a gift and then explained the history of our race and what we stand for. It changes your life completely, but it's for the best" Hopsin explained, his smile and white eyes still making him look creepy and like a demon. But John was still trying to think of where he'd seen the guy before.

"That's where I know you from! Am I A Psycho!" John exclaimed, a big grin on his face. The other three just laughed, John noted how Randy had been quiet the whole time, but put it down to the focus on Hopsin.

"Yeah, yeah. Everyone recognises me from that, but that's not important. What is important is our job of protecting the earth from demons and demonized humans" Hopsin said, and then looked out into the forest, searching for something.

"Well, me and Randy are going to head inside. Could you show John to his living quarters, Marcus?" Evan asked, Hopsin nodding before Evan and Randy walked towards the circus.

Neither man spoke for a few minutes, both stuck in their thoughts, before Hopsin broke the silence. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah, I've got to say, if they hadn't proved that Evan could read minds then I probably wouldn't have believed them" John answered, just realising this himself.

"He's the only one that calls me Marcus. I like being called my name though, it reminds me that I'm more than just a rapper, even if I am good at it" Hopsin said, smirking slightly, but only as a joke.

"You said your power was judging people?" John asked, feeling that the other topic wasn't going anywhere.

"Oh, it's simple really. Have you ever heard of aura's? Well, if the person is a genuinely good person then they have a white aura, the bad guys have dark black aura's, and some can be a mix of the two" Hopsin explained, it seemed very simple to John, but efficient and helpful.

"Do you know anybody who has a mix of them?" John asked, curious. The people with white aura's would be the good guys, and the black aura's the bad guys, but surely that meant that the people in the middle were unpredictable.

"I only know one person, recently, who has the grey aura" Hopsin said in response, something about the way he cut the sentence off peaked John's curiosity but John needed to know who he could trust.

"Who is it?" John asked as Hopsin continued to stare up at the sky. After a few moments of silence, Hopsin met John's stare, his marble eyes shimmering in the moonlight.

"Randy"


	5. Chapter 5

_**A Gift And A Curse**_

_- Chapter Five -_

**_A/N: Sorry for the filler chapter, it's necessary. _**

* * *

"Randy?!" John exclaimed, not able to control himself. "Then why is he still here if you can't trust him?"

"Because, the Greys don't always turn out to be villains and they can be really useful to fool our enemies" Hopsin answered, his marble eyes glinting in the moonlight once again. They had to be contacts.

"Those are contacts, right?" John asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Hopsin chuckled before answering. "Of course they are; I just use them to block the demons pathway into my soul" He said, which just made John even more confused and curious. It took him a minute or so to work out what Hopsin had meant, but it clicked almost instantly.

"The Demons can use our eyes to possess our souls?!" John asked, his voice breaking with an edge of fear and confusion. Anxiety.

"Yeah, it's the only power they have that we can't counter. Well, there are rituals but, when you've been possessed, you never really recover. Especially because Demons only live in people's souls" Hopsin explained with a far away look in his eyes. John could almost feel the loss and nostalgia seeping from his very soul.

"You lost someone to Demons before, didn't you?" John asked softly. Hopsin's dead-looking eyes stared down into his and John could feel their pain.

"Yes, but I don't want to talk about. Juts know that Demons will be in human form when you see them. They are the most deceitful race" Hopsin said, quickly changing the subject. He looked up at the moon once more before turning and walking toward the Circus without looking back. With a shrug, John followed him, escaping the sudden chill of the night.

* * *

It was almost noon the next day when he woke up. The sun was filtering through the cream curtains and lighting up the beige walls. It was very bland and uncreative but it had a home-y feel to it, which John had never really felt. Sitting up, John was suddenly aware of somebody else in the room, sitting timidly in the back of his mind.

"Evan?" He said out loud, slightly creeped out that the other man had been in his room whilst he'd been asleep.

"I heard that, you know" Evan said, his tone joking and light.

"Sorry, but you have to agree - it is creepy to wake up with someone else in your room, your mind!" John said, emphasising the last bit, it was a bit odd to think about, let alone hear out loud. "So, where's Hopsin?"

"He's out with Ted and Randy, doing some work" Evan answered vaguely. John shivered as the connotations of work sprang up from the dark corners of his mind. _Yeah, it isn't pretty_, Evan added, in his mind.

"Don't do that!" John exclaimed, jumping out of bed in only his briefs. He felt Evan drift from his mind and looked to see him blushing. _So cute!_

"Thank you" Evan said, smiling. John reminded himself to try to keep his thoughts hidden from Evan in the future, which Evan just laughed at. "It's impossible to hide them completely. You can put barriers in the way but you can't make them invisible to my third eye".

"Oh, shut up! What are we doing today, anyways?" John asked, curious.

"Well...nothing, really. You can't do any _work _until you've been fully trained, and even then your ability won't be enhanced" Evan answered, still smiling.

"If it doesn't enhance my ability, then what do I do in training?" John asked, clearly confused.

"It's physical and defense training. I mean, judging by your body you'll pass the physical side with ease but you probably haven't had any experience with Demon hunting" Evan explained, before turning on his heel as John pulled on some spare trousers and a shirt that had been set out for him. They were made of a silk, dyed black with a white crest that looked like a cherub holding a spear under the light of the moon.

"That's our symbol. Most Demons only come out at night, so we hunt then. But, sometimes, like today, we follow a demon to the den of many others and then set up traps and surveillance in the day time, so that we can keep track of them at night to see if they do anything wrong" Evan explained. It was beginning to stick into John's head, despite the irregularity of it all.

"It is hard to deal with" Evan muttered as they walked out into what seemed like a garden. It was beautiful, Eden if there ever was one, with flower petals in all colours and grass that shone with a healthy green glow. Even the trees looked timeless. Cody sat in the middle with five plates and a pot of coffee.

"I see Ted's powers are working from long distances now" Evan said to Cody with a smile. They both laughed at John's confused expression.

"Ted can control minds, remember? This is what humans call a 'mirage', it's made to look pure and beautiful but really, it's nothing more than your average garden" Evan explained, earning a chuckle from Cody and a look of awe from John, it seemed that would be regular for a while.

"That is _so_ awesome!" John said, exhaling a breath he didn't even realise he was holding. The mixture of colours made it look so tropical - reds, blues, yellows, dark blues - but the tall, healthy trees and the soft and shiny green grass were out of this world.

"Yeah, Ted said yesterday in bed that he thought his ability was improving" Cody commented. A look of shock crossed John's face, before his lips tugged up in a naughty smile. _Those two? That is so hot!_

_'Dude, that is so pervy!' _John heard in the back of his mind, it appeared like any other thought in his head, but he could tell it was Evan inside his head. _Sorry, Evan, but they are. _

"Are you guys having a conversation without me?" Cody asked, eyeing John and Evan before the two chorused in an awkward chuckle. Cody joined in too, and seemed to forget about it by the time they had stopped laughing. "Food?" He offered, pointing to the plates in front of them.

John felt his stomach rumble and nodded eagerly before all three of them dug in.

When the food was finished, which had been a hard task, the talk turned to business.

"Okay, first thing's first. John, you need to quit your job and gather some clothes and other belongings from your apartment and bring them here. You can go back there any time you want, but for your training, you're going to have to live with us in the Circus" Cody said, there was no wavering in his matter-of-fact tone.

"Okay, but I hope it's okay if I keep it as a residence. It's become like home to me" John said, smiling hopefully at Cody.

"It's fine, and we can have Ted deal with the financial side of things, but we are going to have to leave soon" Cody responded, not smiling but not mean either.

"Well" Evan said. "Let's get going".


	6. Chapter 6

_**A Gift And A Curse**_

_- Chapter Six -_

* * *

The journey to John's apartment was a relaxed and quiet one, though John suspected Evan and Cody were having their own conversation, using Evan's mind-reading instead of their voices. He didn't seem to mind at all because his own mind was distracted by Hopsin's revelation about Randy. Something about Randy seemed very sinister, but it could just be looked at as his cold demeanour. But there was still that niggling in the back of his mind...

"This the one?" Evan asked, drawing John out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, pull up here. Do you guys mind if I go up there on my own?" John said; this may as well be his goodbye to the apartment, despite the fact that he would still own it, if Ted's powers were as good as Cody had bragged they were.

"Okay, we'll keep a look out for anyone suspicious" Cody replied, that cute-as-ever smile on his face.

'_Awwww!' _John heard Evan tease in his mind.

_'Fuck off Evan!' _John thought strongly, hoping that it sounded as jokingly as he meant it to be.

"Okay, I'm gonna go up now. I'll be back soon" John said before exiting the car. The sun shone high in the sky, a slight breeze to it so that nobody broke out in an unnecessary sweat - a gentleness to it that relaxed John slightly.

Making his way up the staircase, there was a slight coldness in the atmosphere that was foreign to John; for as long as he had lived here, the building had never had problems with central heating, it had always had hot water, even in winter. There was also something off about the air, something _evil_...

Finally up the first three flights of stairs, John froze when he saw that his apartment door had been left open. Fast checking his memory of the long night before, he realised that he hadn't locked or shut the door when he left. So nobody had broken in then...

Walking through the open door, John almost screamed in anger. His belongings and various ornaments were strewn, seemingly thrown harshly all over the wooden floor. At first he had guessed that it must have been robbers but something in the back of his mind told him that this was more than a coincidence; that the night he discovered he had some form of super power, his home had been invaded and left in tatters.

_'Everything okay, John?' _Evan said in his mind. John felt relieved for the company at this time.

_'Somebody has been here, they've destroyed my apartment' _John said solemnly.

_'Do you need us to come up there?'_

_'No, I'm fine'. _

What were they looking for? That was the question John was asking himself as he stepped over lamps, vases and strips of fabric.

"Nothing here, boss!" John froze as someone spoke upstairs.

He found that he couldn't move his legs as the person began to descend the staircase that led up to his bedroom. A second set of footsteps echoed behind the first, but John still couldn't move. Fear had paralysed him.

Suddenly an arm pulled at his arm, and dragged him below the stairs. They seemed to glide along the panelled floor before they stopped underneath the staircase.

Looking to his right, John saw that it was Cody. "What are you -" John began but Cody clamped a hand over his mouth.

"We knew something was wrong. Right now, nobody else can see us but I need to see who's up there" Cody hissed into his ear, John nodded slowly, noticing the almost-transparent blanket that seemed to surround them. He wondered if anyone would notice the slight difference between air and this transparency but Evan soon appeared in his mind.

_'Nobody will notice you' _He said before his presence seemed to fade out of John's mind completely.

John looked up as the footsteps sounded directly above them, seeing two pairs of identical, smart-shoed, feet, and some suit-looking trousers through the gaps in the steps, but no faces or anything vaguely recognisable.

"Find him, search the whole God damn City. Just find him!" A slightly familiar voice ordered the other man, before the other left the apartment. John could only see the second man's back as he stood at the foot of the stairs, but the voice seemed so familiar...

"We're on to you, Cena. We will find you and kill you when we get the opportunity" The man called as he turned around, staring up and down the staircase, his gaze seemingly locking with John's as he said "kill". John froze as he recognised the face, almost shocking him into falling backwards but for Cody holding him upright.

It was Shane McMahon. The head of McMahon Industries, the biggest property company in the city, if not the country. Why did he want John dead? _Dead_, the word sent a shiver up his spine as McMahon looked up and down the staircase again before leaving the apartment.

As soon as the door slammed shut, the cloak disappeared and the two crept out from under the stairs and stood at the side of them.

"Do you know that man personally?" Cody asked, curiosity and a knowing sparkle to his eyes.

"No. That was Shane McMahon, I saved his father once and he rewarded me with this apartment. Why would he want me dead?" John asked, his voice full of panic.

"Did you not sense that coldness on your way up here?" Cody asked, his eyes meeting John's.

"Actually, yes. I just thought the heating wasn't working. Why?" John said, confused at Cody's focus on such a small matter. So what if the heating wasn't working, a man had sent people out to kill him!

"The heating was fine until the third floor, I know you noticed. That cold was the presence of demons" Cody stated dramatically.

John just shook his head; none of this made any sense. "How could I be on their radar already?"

"You've been on everyone's radar for months!" Cody blurted out and then clamped a hand over his mouth.

"What the _hell_ does that mean?!" John demanded, thousands of possibilities running through his mind.

"We keep track of our kind all over the world, it's not as bad as it sounds; it's not like we use any of it to incriminate others, unless we see something really bad..." Cody trailed off, not wanting to make things worse.

"So you're saying that there are cameras and bugs all over my apartment that basically means you've been spying on me?!" John said, trying to refrain from breaking something.

"Basically, yes. But we have good reason; you could have been attacked, and with the cameras we'd be able to save you, or at least catch the criminals..." Cody said, trying to make it seem reasonable when it was clearly an invasion of privacy.

"Yeah, 'cos that ever happened" John muttered before storming out of the room, leaving Cody in the apartment by himself.

Shivering from the demonic presence in the air, Cody fished his phone out of his pocket before leaving the room. "Teddy, I need you to get all of the information you can get about Shane McMahon..."


	7. Chapter 7

**A Gift And A Curse**

**A/N: SO sorry for taking so long, I've had this stored away, half-written for ages. Thank you for the reviews and please keep reviewing, it makes my day :)**

_- Chapter Seven -_

* * *

"I still don't get it. What reason would Shane MacMahon have to put out a hit on me?" John asked, his body trembling subconsciously as his eyes darted from the back of Evan's head to the tanned cheek of Cody's face. His eyes stopped darting when Cody turned to face him, a look of sympathy in his baby blues.

"Demons are very good at deceiving people" Evan began, his eyes focused on the road ahead of him. "They might act like bland and regular people in the daytime and be killing others at night, but you'd never guess. My guess is that there is more to Shane MacMahon than we think".

"What, you think he's a demon? But I saved his dad's life!" John exclaimed, his hands thudding off of the car's roof in exasperation.

"Yes, that's what put you on everybody's radar, actually...have you ever heard the expression 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer', John?" Cody said, turning to face John again.

"Obviously, but what does that have to do...you don't think...?" John began, his jaw dropping as a realisation hit him.

"Precisely, I think that Vince MacMahon was a demon and that Shane Macmahon has followed in his footsteps. If anything he didn't have a choice -" Cody explained before being cut off by John.

"No, that doesn't make any sense! I saved Vince from being gunned down by the mob, so how could he have been the evil one?" John exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, that bit makes perfect sense, actually; demons are notorious for turning on their own kind, especially if it offers potential financial gain" Evan explained, not turning away from the road. It took a while for John to realise what he meant but, eventually, it came to him. But he still had many questions.

"Let me put it this way: take what you know about Satan, and apply that to all demons. Satan and all demons live off of deception and, because of this, it makes it hard to tell who is who" Evan explained, actually making sense to John.

"So, what you're saying is that Vince was killed by other demons?" John asked, just to be sure.

"Actually, lower demons. Demons can range from typical street thugs to the President of the United States. And the mob is a classic example of lower demons thinking they are bigger then they are" Evan said, amazing John at how much knowledge he had shared.

"So I can't trust anybody apart from you guys?"

"No, sometimes you can't even trust our people" Cody said honestly.

"So how do I know I can trust you two?" John asked, half jokingly.

"Do you think you can trust us, John?" Cody said, eyes locked on John's.

"For some reason, I think I can. But why can't I trust other people of our race?" John asked, remembering that he was also Igigi.

"Some of them aren't on our side" Cody said bluntly.

"What does that mean?" John asked, eyes widening rapidly.

"Do you know how easy it is for demons to get into the soul of a human?" Cody asked, his eyes reading John's so that he couldn't lie. John nodded quickly, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Okay. Now, it's harder for them to get into ours, but it can happen" Cody explained again.

"Have you known anybody who has had it happen to them?" John asked.

"No" Cody said, bluntly and fast, too fast for John's liking. But he wouldn't ask.

_'I wouldn't ask if I was you, either' _Evan said, his presence washing over John's mind like a fresh wave on a beach. Calm and smooth.

_Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. _John thought, hoping Evan heard. And asking himself how Evan could be in his mind and focus on the road at the same time. Talk about multi-tasking.

_'It's not as hard as you think' _Evan said in John's mind, an edge of relaxation and happiness to his voice.

"So...how can you tell if someone's soul has been..." John trailed off, trying to think up the right words. _'If somebody's been possessed', _Evan said at the back of his mind, his tone now amused, but distracted, as he was trying to focus on the road ahead of them. _'Thanks' _John thought, uncertain, before continuing.

"...if somebody's been possessed by a demon?" John finished, seeing a small smile on Evan's face as it was reflected in the mirror.

"Well, the eyes are indeed the window to the soul, so, if you look hard enough, you'll see something dark in their eyes. Although, for both safety and time reasons, Hopsin can usually tell via a person's aura" Cody explained, his eyes clouded over, as if it were personal to him.

Demons, souls, aura's; it was all so spiritual, John wasn't sure he'd ever be able to wrap his mind around it. Remembering all of what he'd been told would be hard enough, but having a major demon out for his blood? That was too much for John, as he could already feel himself panicking.

_"You'll have extra protection until it's safe" _Evan practically whispered in his mind. Awakening out of his momentary daze, John looked up to the mirror, only to see that the smile on Evan's face had fallen.

"Pizza?" Cody's body suddenly shook and his big, goofy smile was on display once again.

Shaking his head, John wondered if he'd ever adapt to his new life...

* * *

Ted Dibiase always enjoyed a trip out, but this one, specifically, would be a dangerous one. For one thing; this was foreign territory for their clan, and two: he was alone. After his trip out this morning with Hopsin and Randy, (which was to a suspicious crime scene), he had let the two drive back, promising to get a taxi home when he was done. Cody wanted him to do some work, and Cody was his to priority, so he would do it as soon as he could.

It hadn't been his brightest or most earnest decision, but he'd made it on behalf of the clan, and now he had to succeed.

Walking through the large, glass double-doors of City Hall, he confidently strode up to the heavyset security guard, smiling the most sincere greeting smile he could muster and letting his power do the rest. The security guard was big, of African-American descent and had an intimidating air about him.

"Mr. Calic? Nice to meet you sir" The security guard, whose name tag said 'Jackson', smiled an infectious smile before ushering him through.

"Thank-you, Jackson".

With that, Ted strolled through the halls, up two flights of stairs, before seeing his destination down a long hallway.

Walking in that direction, Ted noted the obvious drop in temperature and how the lights seemed to dim down this hall. It could only mean one thing: Demons.

As if on cue, a man exited the office Ted was heading for. The man was middle-aged, with graying hair, slightly overweight, and his whole demeanour seemed off to Ted. Locking eyes, Ted noticed the black colour of the other man's pupils, and it struck him; this man _was_ a demon.

"Afternoon, sir" The demon voiced, a smirk on his face, before leaving Ted to guess who he was, or what he had done.

Brushing it off as him being suspicious, Ted ventured on, entering the same office the other man had exited only minutes earlier.

"Mr. Calic" another man in a suit greeted him before exiting the office. This man was more plump and stressed out, nothing like a demon at all.

Waiting for the door to close behind him, Ted walked over to the three big filing cabinets in the far left corner of the room. Pulling one open, Ted noticed the label stating that these were surnames A-G. The next was H-S, and the third was S-Z. Thumbing through 'H-S', Ted stopped when he reached the M's.

He soon came to the realisation that Shane MacMahon's file was taken. _So that man really was a demon..._

And that the same man must have been an associate of MacMahon's or MacMahon himself. Of course, demons were notorious for their acts of hubris, just as much as they were for their lack of intelligence. For, as Ted searched again, he came across another file with the same surname. _MacMahon, S. _

Grabbing '_MacMahon, S'_, Ted slipped out of the office, just about making it out of the hallway when the fire alarm sounded,meaning two things; the demon who he had seen didn't want to be followed, and that he had to hide in here, tricking anyone who came across him, or try to escape and risk being caught.

Sitting down in the big, leather office chair that was vacant in the room, Ted placed '_MacMahon, S' _in front of him and began to skim-read the first page of the document. Gasping in shock, Ted quickly fished his phone out of his pocket and dialled Cody's number.

"Hey Teddy!" Cody's gleeful voice greeted him on the other end of the line.

"Cody" Ted responded, still in shock from the file. "Ask John if he knew that the MacMahon's had a daughter" Ted ordered, taking seconds to hear John's muffled voice respond to Cody on the other end of the call.

"No...no he doesn't. What are you trying to say, Ted?"

"Stephanie MacMahon was a sacrafice".


End file.
